Hello!

My name is Ally Bean and this is my personal blog answering the question: "What up, Buttercup?" I'm here at least once a week-- unless, of course, I'm not. And yes, I wear eyeglasses. Spectacles, if you will.

Please Note

“I am not always good and noble. I am the hero of this story, but I have my off moments.”

Janet at Janet’s Smiles made me aware of this challenge. No pressure, no hype– just a chance to do something creative and different than my usual lackadaisical approach to sharing pics over on my IG account [@thespectacledbean].

I’ve never tried anything like this before, so I anticipate some anxiety at first, but I imagine I can follow through and do this more or less daily.

TWO

I think that the idea of learning to batch your time is intriguing.

A friend mentioned this concept to me so I did some research. According to a productivity hack from Brazen, batching: “allows you to take advantage of your full concentration by grouping a bunch of similar activities together and doing them all at the same time.” [More here and here.]

I’m sure I do this naturally in some areas of my life already, but I could apply this concept to how I blog.

THREE

I think thatDead to Me is a wonderful TV show that just goes to prove great TV is possible.

I watched the 10 episodes in a 2-day binge. This show, starring Christina Applegate and Linda Cardellini, is funny + sad + clever + outrageous. I won’t go into the deets about the plot, the characters, the settings but I will say that I didn’t see the ending coming. And I loved it.

Jill, I batch my time naturally in some areas of my life, but when it comes to blogging I’m more fly by the seat of my pants. I don’t know if that’s what makes me able to write a blog, or if I’d do better if I structured my time more. A conundrum.

Ally – just my opinion – but I think the fly by seat of your pants approach also brings this freshness “in the moment” passion that cannot always come with batching. So keep doing what you do – and batching works for my spouse – but some people have more creative juices flow with a little less structure (even tho there is structure here as you post regularly and have your own style with questions for us to respond to if we want) but some creativity can only come that day and batching cannot tap into that kind of juiciness – ya know?

Yvette, thank you! After writing this post and talking with commenters & irl people about batching, I’ve come to realize that for me the best way to do this blog is when the spirit moves me. Too much planning ahead and I’ll feel constrained. I show up here at least weekly and attempt to write clearly so I’m consistent in that respect, but as you mention creativity often hits me in the moment so why not go with it?

I look forward to reading more comments (because I was inspired by Jill’s)
And I realized in the last hour (since I chimed in) that the word “inspire” comes to mind.
Batching can work for authors and for folks like my husband (his does health coaching )

I haven’t done a photo challenge in a while. I did one eons ago when I had my original blog. it was fun way to force you to photograph things with a different thinking process. I’ll have to check it out. I have an I/G account, but don’t use it as much as I probably should/could

teacherturnedmommy, you make an excellent point about how this challenge will nudge me into thinking about how I take my photos– and then do it differently. I figure not much happens in blogworld during August so it’d be a good time to focus [no pun intended] on photography. Let me know if you decide to do this challenge, too. We’ll cheer each other on to victory.

Grrrr – I just realized that IG, like FB, appears to give only selected posts from people I follow. When I went to your IG account, I realized I was apparently following you but I never see your posts … and yet I get endless ad after ad for things I will never want 😡

Good luck with your photo challenge. Now I at least know to go looking for you!

Joanne, I’ve been wondering about IG, too. I’ve done the same thing as you in that I’ve intentionally gone to find someone who I haven’t seen there for weeks only to find out that I’m not getting their photos in my feed. I’m not a big fan of FB so I suppose it makes sense that IG would be just as dodgy. Thanks for looking for me.

I’ve been doing the monthly photo challenge (The Changing Seasons), hosted by Su Leslie at Zimmerbitch for over a year now. But I missed June and it looks like I’m going to miss July too…a combination of too many other things distracting me, and maybe it’s time to move on to something else. I have really enjoyed it though, and it inspired me all month long to take photos for that one post. I’ve also participated in NaMoBloMo and the annual A-Z Blogging challenge. I’d love to do more of these types of challenges as I find them both a stretch and inspiring, however I am going to wait now until after I retire and move, as I have enough challenges coming up in my life to get through, first. Looking forward to your IG posts, Ally!

Deb, I enjoy the posts you do for The Changing Seasons challenge. It’s fun to see what you’ve done during the month and what you feel is worthy of note. Rather cool.

I’ve done NaBloPoMo and I’ve done the A to Z Challenge so I think I have a good idea of how challenges work. That being said, Instagram doesn’t call to me the way blogging does, so if I miss a few days of the challenge I’ll still be able to hold my head up high.

1) I did a 365-day challenge on Instagram — took a photo every single day, and mostly of different things (no prompts)! It’s fun! It becomes a little addictive and I needed a break after it was over. But I considered it quite the accomplishment. And it also helps my writing brain see things in a different way.

2) Like things with like is, like, how I do most things. I’m a huge fan of the organization, even organizing time.

3) Barry on HBO is an amazing dark comedy with psychological subtext and really good writing and acting. Have you checked him out?

Tara, that’s right! I remember your 365 photo challenge. I liked it. I’m hoping that by taking a month of pics I’ll see the world differently, and have something to write about.

In some areas of my life I am a batcher, but when it comes to blogging I tend to multi-task doing everything under the sun at once. I’m intrigued by the idea that I could write all my posts at one time [as suggested in one of the links], but I’m also concerned that doing that might kill my blogging mojo.

I’ll look for Barry. I think we still get HBO so if we do *yay* something new to watch. Thanks.

I’ll have to remember my instagram password to sign in and check our your pics. 🙂

I sometimes batch write blog posts, but allow for the spontaneous idea that may appear. Both worlds!

Hope you enjoy Barry. I like smart writing and this one’s got it. Season one gets a lil’ slow, but hang on — emmy-winning episodes 9 and 10 are worth the effort! Season 2 is even better. (10 eps each season, half-hour show.)

This whole batch idea seems to be quite popular right now. The flavor of the month? I generally just write whatever comes to mind, but I usually have a few ideas percolating in my files. If you get on IG let me know. Passwords are the bane of my existence.

I did a 365 picture project too, some with prompts but mostly without, just things I saw during the day. It is a challenge to get a picture a day for so long but it was fun. I turned it into a slideshow.

Janet, I only think to take a photo when I see something unique or naturally beautiful. Thus doing this kind of daily challenge will be a step outside my comfort zone. Not a bad thing, but one that I’m glad is limited to 31 days. Or however many days I manage to do it.

I don’t do any challenges. Somehow I prefer to free think my stuff. I always want to write a few draft posts at the same time while I’m on a role but it rarely happens. (It does happen in my head though, just not in reality.) I like detective stories so I’m grooving on Instinct. It’s new and fresh and I love Alan Cummings.

Kate, I do challenges every so often as a way of keeping my thinking fresh. I fear getting into a rut, but that being said I am free-spirited in my approach to doing them.

I know that there’s a logic to plopping yourself down for 3 hours and writing, writing, writing. But that seems so much like doing homework in college. I usually focus on one post at a time while replying to comments here. 🤷‍♀️

I’ve not heard of Instinct, but I do love Alan Cummings. Thanks for the idea.

I agree. If I were to schedule myself a batch of time wherein I had to crank out 3 blog posts while ignoring all the other stuff going on around me, I’d feel like a hampster on a wheel more than a person being creative. On the other hand I naturally batch my time when I cook or garden or clean so for me this concept is all about the context.

Taking photos is just not my thing, but I do like looking at them! Also I just don’t think to have my phone handy at all. I walk in the morning, but the phone stays home. I like to see with my eyes, not through the phone. Besides stopping to take a pic would slow down the entire exercise process 🙂
So is “batching” the same as what I learned eons ago as “dovetailing?” Working small jobs into and around a big job? Dovetailing, the term anyway, was introduced to me way back in 1980 when I was in dental assistant training. It made perfect sense then and I have continued with the practice since, in almost everything personal and professional I do.
And TV hmmm…I just started The InBetween and it looks interesting. Set in Seattle just north of me so that was a surprise and absolutely no one I know as far as actors at this point. Interesting concept, but creepy. I won’t watch in the dark!

Deb, I’m not much for taking photos either. Like you I rarely have my phone with me or near me. Therefore this will be a challenge merely to see if I remember to remember to grab my phone as I’m living my life.

From your description of dovetailing I don’t think batching is the same thing. It’s more of a mindset wherein you decide that you’ll only focus on one particular task and ignore doing other ones simultaneously because you think you’ll be more productive this way. I dunno. I’m more of a go with the flow writer, but maybe it’d work for me?

Since I didn’t recognize IG, I guess that is a clue to how frequently I visit the site. I finally updated my phone last year, but have taken and uploaded maybe a half dozen photos, tops.

I used to enjoy the daily/weekly/monthly challenges – I found them quite helpful to stir the juices. It seems that I’ve said all I want to say in terms of memoirs or current events and the challenges aren’t working for me these days. I think I am in a mute mode and prefer to read and not write so much anymore. Ebb and flow, right?

I haven’t heard of batching – I await your verdict. I checked one of the links, and my eyes glazed over almost instantly. Maybe THAT’s my problem – concentration issues!

I did enjoy “Dead to Me” and found Applegate was marvelous. The story, though, felt a bit too contrived at the end. But it is totally watchable, and I’d recommend it.

Maggie, yes I can understand how IG might confuse you. My bad for not writing out the complete name. I’m not there too often and this challenge may turn out to be my last gasp there. I’m totally indifferent to Instagram.

This is the first challenge I’ve done in a while. On the one hand I like the idea of someone else telling me what to do instead of relying on my own good self. But then I’ll get irritated by the prompts, and be ready to take the lead again.

I batch some areas of my life just because I do, but I’m concerned about setting limits on how I write and interact in the blogosphere. It’s the spontaneity and the randomness of blogging that draws me to it. Yet my friend who suggested this approach is convinced this is the key to better content. I dunno.

Yes, you’re right, the ending of Dead to Me was contrived, but I loved it. I couldn’t stop laughing and considering this is a light summertime TV program, it seemed perfect.

Thanks for the nod and glad you decided to give August Break a try. I find some of the prompts are more conducive to writing than pictures but that’s what makes it fun to me. I will be interested to read about the batching because I am at a turning point in my work life I believe and perhaps that would help me get more productive where I need to be. I’ll be looking for you on IG!

Hey there Janet, I’ll be fascinated to know what you think of this batching idea. A friend is all about it and she’s smart– but I think for me the concept would only work in certain areas of my life. Still…

Interesting photo challenge. I haven’t added new photos to my IG account so maybe I will participate… oops, I already missed the first prompt (morning light) since it’s now 9:02am. I’ll check out Dead To Me… sounds interesting. We liked Russian Doll on Netflix. Quirky, but intriguing, and I love Natasha Lyonne.

Rivergirl, I don’t do many prompts or challenges, but once in a while I will let someone else tell me what to do. Not often, but this August over there in IG I’ll be a joiner just to see what comes of it. Let me know what you think of batching if you read the links/try it. I do it already in some areas of my life, but not when it comes to blogging.

What was a treasure of a (reply) comment: longing for serenity – the real serenity:)
Have done batching for years – I can’t even think without it – such a time and energy saver! FB has shadow banned me, so no FB for me, unless there is a different owner – I don’t see that one coming soon:)

Junieper2, I wonder if I batch my work and projects more than I realize and don’t have a name for it? Still the idea of trying to batch my time while keeping a blog sounds limiting to me. How do you get shadow banned on FB? I’m not there so I don’t know how it works.

Shadow banning happens when FB tracks your comments/views, and if they don’t like it, they do “something” to your page that everything looks “normal” but suddenly hardly anyone comments on your page anymore, also the ones who agree with you, their comments seemed to have disappeared. It took me half a year to believe they would actually do that, but it became too appearant and told my friends I would stop. The thing that gets me is that FB is in the hands of Silicon millenials (and younger) who don’t have not the views of average Joe of America.

That’s incredibly weird and disturbing. I cannot see how doing that would in any way make anyone feel safe or respected on FB. But maybe that’s the idea, FB wants to get rid of people? I’m sorry that happened to you and am doubly glad that I’m not there anymore. I deleted my account years ago and have never regretted it. Thanks for taking the time to explain this to me.

I haven’t done much creatively with my blog or Instagram. And I would like to be more organized, but I also enjoy being spontaneous. I have quirky tastes, so I don’t generally recommend any TV. I watch it rarely anyway and haven’t seen most of the series that people talk about. 🙂

Margaret, I like to try new things on my blog or IG account because I don’t want to get in a rut. That would never do! Of course even when I’m part of a group I still do things my own way which tends to be free-spirited & quirky. I like TV but only quality shows that I can binge-watch when I’m in the mood.

We just discovered this wonderful Swedish drama called “The Simple Heist.” Thankfully subtitled, it’s about two early sixtyish women, one a doctor and the other a teacher, who pull off a bank robbery in Stockholm. It’s not quite a dramady, though there are many funny moments in it. Highly recommend if you can find it; we’re streaming it via Acorn TV. – Marty

Ally, we love Acorn. It has soooo many really good shows. We’ll probably never see even half of them because of time constraints (we only watch about 90 mins of TV a night), but the ones we have seen we’ve really enjoyed.

I’ve looked through the website and it looks great to me. Like you we might watch 90 min of TV a night and we already have Netflix & Hulu, so I’m wishy-washy about our need for another streaming service. But… 🤔

I’m not sure how someone as ADD and easily distracted as I could possibly put my full concentration on anything. Would you look at that pretty squirrel? I mean, I can’t even focus on comments without…. oh, I gotta check this video out! Now what was I saying?

evilsquirrel13, batching may not be for you, a distractible creature intent on not staying on point. The more I think about the idea of batching I realize I do it sometimes already. It’s just not my go-to when it comes to blogging where I fly by the seat of my pants, an approach that has got me to where I am today.

I have never participated in a photo challenge. Sounds like fun but I don’t think I’d be consistent 🙄. I don’t know what batching so I’ll have to look it up (follow the links you provided). TV shows? We recently binged the third season of Stranger Things. Now we’re back to watching Colbert or the original Twilight Zone 😏

Marie, I’ve never tried a monthlong photo challenge, but did a weeklong one. August is a slow month for me so I figured now was as good of time as any to try it.

The batching concept is trendy now, as the last two links will show. My friend was all about it so I’m considering how it might help me as a blogger BUT spontaneity is how I’ve written here so I dunno about writing ahead.

I only watched the first season of Stranger Things, then lost interest. I’d love to see the original Twilight Zone episodes. Thanks for the suggestion.

Challenges and changing things up a new way is always good. Batching works, but as most things there are times to be flexible – like allowing yourself one day a week to have desserts without guilt HA HA.
August is always a yucky month for me – too hot…too much of summer time half done and the next half heartedly started. TV usually off but a night good story is welcomed – yes – Twilight Zone lives! (now if we can just get the old “Get Smart” or “Smothers Brothers” – something funny to end the day on…running out of Simpson’s episodes….)

philmouse, I agree. If I didn’t try a few challenges once in a while I’d be a dull Bean. Must. Keep. Moving. I imagine I batched my way through college, but without having a trendy term to describe my behavior. I have the ability to be organized, productive, and focused when need be. BUT on this blog I’m not sure I want to sit down and write a month’s worth of post all at once. Where’s the fun in that? I’m going to look for Twilight Zone. It sounds like a good way to survive August, a month that makes me sneeze and wheeze.

Love your astute remark about we did it, without knowing and “without a trendy name..”
No way I could sit down and compose a group of posts..The deal is ideas shuffle around and show up – maybe half baked – but like toddlers, they do not want to stand in line and wait their turn…
can’t remember what channel Twilight Zone is on, …typically, it bizarrely shows up when needed.

I agree about ideas shuffling around in my brain, not always available on command. Plus I figure that interruptions are just a way for the universe to get me to go down a different path, a better one I like to believe.

Great thoughts! I was going to suggest Stranger Things also, but I see that Marie has already suggested the show. So I recommend The Great British Baking Show on Netflix. It’s so soothing, at least to me.

As for batching, I have to do that to meet editorial deadlines. That includes putting the phone on airplane mode. When I’m editing a chapter, I try to fact check quotes ahead of time so that I won’t have to stop and look those up as I edit. (Very time consuming otherwise.) Makes the editing process much smoother.

As for picture challenges, I don’t have an Instagram account. Yes, I am the last holdout. My phone is ancient, and I don’t do a ton on it. And I almost never post on Facebook. Even my relatives wonder who I am. 😄

L. Marie, I’ve seen a few early episodes of The Great British Baking Show and I liked it. I need to remember to watch it again. Good idea.

I’m sure during my collegiate days I batched with the best of them. I can see how you need to have that mindset if you’re going to accomplish your job. Still on the fence, though, about how batching would impact my blog.

I’m not on FB but I am on IG. It’s not exactly my cuppa tea but I’m giving this challenge a whirl to see if I learn to love IG in the process. I’m not much for pulling out my phone and snapping a fast pic, so this may be an ill-fated challenge for me.

Yes, I’ve done challenges – AugustBreak2018 and now 2019 – which you discovered me on Instagram already! Yes, I batch stuff. No, never saw that show. I’m looking forward to seeing how many times we think of the same or similar things for the AugustBreak2019 challenge.

Shelley, I’ve done writing challenges, but never photo ones. I wonder how often duplicate ideas pop up in a challenge like this. I batch some aspects of my life, but when it comes to blogging I’m more spontaneous. Not sure if I want to be more productive? Sounds work-y to me.

For pink prompt – a lot of people chose flowers, yet all were unique. But not you, no, you chose something fun, so if I ever come up with the same thing as you, I’ll feel honored. 🙂 Your spontaneous approach to blogging seems quite successful…it took a long time to scroll down to add my comment. That’s inspiring to me! On the other hand…it is a workout for hand and my mouse scroll wheel LOL 😉

I don’t go out of my way to see things differently, it just happens. I know what you mean about scrolling down through the comments. On my phone I have to do that. I appreciate everyone who comments here, but I do understand it can be a bother to do so.

As for the quantity of comments, some of it’s the topics I think of in the moment, but some of it is a result of having started blogging so long ago. I know a lot of people who stop by here from time-to-time to see what’s up with me. Love them all, I do.

Gee, I have to reply in the negative for all three questions Ally. I have never done a prompt because I am kind of pigeonholed into having my post topics walking related, though I sometimes stray around the holidays to other subjects. I think I could try a photography prompt, but not on a daily basis. I’ve never batched my time but I’m open to any suggestions to use my time better. I have not watched TV since early 2010 – I cancelled my cable TV after my mom passed away and that was three years before I began my blog.

linda, I’m doing this daily photo prompt for one month. I’m not sure this going to be the best use of my time, but it’s August and things are slow for me.

The articles about batching that I linked to are persuasive. As I’ve been replying in the comments here I’ve come to realize that I do batch certain areas of my life, but not all of it. And that’s ok by me.

We still have cable although the TV shows I usually watch are on a streaming service like Netflix or Hulu. I don’t know how much longer we’ll be paying for cable. My husband likes it, I think it’s stupid.

I have to delve into batching time Ally and maybe a photo daily prompt, but at a later time – I intended to do no posts this weekend, but the tale I told you last night morphed into something a little funnier so what the heck … I hope my choice of “Mayday” is okay given the shootings, but I think it is PC as I mean no harm, but poking fun at myself and my trials and tribulations. I have the alarm episode spun it into a tale and will save the many pics I took yesterday to write about water lotuses and wildflowers. I am behind in organizing pics, posts – I have at least 5-6 posts in my head and pictures folder and am about to head out to the botanical gardens to get more pics. Have a great day!
I seriously need to redistribute my time when things slow down.

As you know, I do FMS photo prompts on IG. I like it mostly. This month is all about food, and whereas I do have a lot of food engagement, I don’t necessarily eat what’s raw or cooked or green or on a stick on her specified days, so umm, don’t know how much I’ll do. More than fashion month, less than color month. I like belonging to a challenge group and I love to see what others chose.
I attempt to batch at my job. Very so. I check my voicemail and then read my email, and then I work, calls first, then paperwork, and by lunch, I’m on to research and writing, which is where it’s at for me. However, I have the email ping, so I do read any from my bosses and sometimes reception is on the phone so I have to get it. I love to work past 5 cause no phones. I swear I get more done between 5 and 6 than I do most afternoons. At home, I do not batch. I work, break, work, break, work,
Thank you for the show recommendation. I feel your recommendations have benefited me and that we often enjoy the same things. We watched Always Be My Maybe last weekend and we all enjoyed that. Otherwise, I have been sleeping to/through Frasier. Again.

joey, I, too, like the idea of belonging to a challenge group, and so far I’ve enjoyed seeing what other people post. As for me posting a pic every day, we’ll see if I accomplish that or not. When it comes to photography, I enjoy it, but don’t feel drawn to it like I do wordy things like blogging.

I’ve always been able to focus with steely intensity when I need to do so which makes me think I may have been batching some areas of my life and just didn’t have a name for it. But when it comes to writing this blog I fly by the seat of my pants and sort of welcome the interruptions as I write. I multitask all the time when I’m attending to The Spectacled Bean, so maybe I’m doing ok as is.

I want to watch Always Be My Maybe. I’ve heard good things about it so it’s on the list. I like Frasier, awake or asleep. 🙃

It takes me so long to write a post that if I wrote two or three at a time, I’d be in my office all day. I’m persnickety. I can’t stop editing. It’s my pathology.
Sigh.
As far as TV–We got hooked on “Baskets” on Hulu. It’s really quirky and poignant. Louie Anderson plays the mom; Zach Galifinakis (sp?) plays twin brothers. It’s a series about a dysfunctional but ultimately loving family. The first few shows are definitely more goofy, but after that, it really finds its way.

thanks for the suggestion of “dead to me”
and I suggest Barry and guess what ? I am halfway through Game of Thrones – which to me is a DUDE flick – but I can why all the hype – have you seen it.
and I even liked Hannah (amazon prime) although a few aspects were not plausible – like a scene near the ned of season 1 where a lady is walking through an on-fire building and all the little fires are neatly blazing around her – no smoke – not spreading – and so fake! but I give the show a B and it had friendship themes and just fun action –
—
I liked your Instagram pics – I knew some of the photos – like that martini glass one – and loved the variety – so ally bean – like the bubbles and the moments of life you capture (truly original and that is fresh)

Yvette, a few other people have mentioned Barry so I’ll have to check it out when I get in the mood to binge-watch something. I never watched Game of Thrones. From what I can tell it’s too violent for me. I’ve not heard of Hannah, but we don’t get Amazon Prime so it’ll have to wait until it shows up elsewhere.

Thanks for checking in on my IG. Variety is what I do best when it comes to photos. This monthly challenge is going ok for me, but I cannot tell a lie… tuning into Instagram every day doesn’t come naturally to me. One monthly challenge per year may be my limit.

I am
Back
– I plan to briefly post about Barry soon.
And with game of thrones (GOT ) I skip a bunch of scenes – love how easy it is to skip scenes at a time –
And the violence “is” sometimes too rough.
And the sex scenes are sometimes over the top.
Skip many of those
And so many times it feels like a dude flick- where one squire was so “good” with prostitutes they wouldn’t take his coins.
And when this guy was castrated they never showed it – not the mighty penis in demise – but ladies body parts are out there.
Further – the prostitutes are all happy (not in real life and not in any culture) and they all have the same thin flat stomachs with large boobs – (also not realistic) and so at times it seems like the ideas from the notebook of a 15 year old boy. Fantasy and sophomoric and hedonistic
—
Enough on the sex in GOT
And a quick strength (I am just starting season 5) is the element of surprise – there is this second incident of battle by combat to determine guilt (let the gods decide) and the second one had a shocker ending – but it also felt like (afterwards) that they were going for that and I dunno
The other strong part that has me coming back – the acting is good – actually excellent with many of the characters – Jon Snow – the Imp…
Lastly – getting back to Barry – the acting is excellent there too

J, I’m doing the daily photo challenge but have decided to give myself permission to take Wednesdays off. I’ve decided, after much conversation, that batching my approach to blogging won’t work for me. And yes, you said it, Dead to Me is really good TV– I want more like it, please.

Ally, I really like the look of the photo challenge you’re doing this month as, the only other time I’ve done a photo challenge, I found it inspiring. I’m a regular snapper, even though I don’t post much of it on IG as I use a camera rather than my phone and the process is rather lengthy to transfer. Having moved to a new area, I’ve got plenty of new subject matter for my snaps – hurrah!

deb, thanks. I’m trying to do the challenge 6 days a week. I find remembering to snap a pick doesn’t come naturally to me. However, I enjoy finding new people through the challenge so that makes it worth while to me.

I look forward to your photos of your new home. I imagine that’ll bring out the shutter bug in you.